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7.4: Non-Canonical Capital Ship Catalog
This final sub-Chapter on capital ships contains various non-canonical craft contributed by a number of Wing Commander fans. A GM may decide whether or not they would like to use these craft in their adventures. The statistics on these craft as presented here all represent "stock" models; the actual stats of an individual craft may be vastly different depending upon any modifications the craft's crew makes; in those cases GMs should follow all the usual restrictions for the type of craft chassis involved. This chapter also includes craft that are "pseudo"-canonical, which are mentioned as being part of the WC continuity but did not appear in any of the games, craft that do not have any official statistics or that have a set of stats that are poorly defined. Good examples include the Wake-class Escort Carriers that premiere in End Run and the Jutland-class Fleet Carriers that are mentioned in Fleet Action. If you have a capital ship design that you'd like to contribute to this sub-Chapter, contact capi3101 at the Wing Commander CIC Forums. Wake contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by William R. Forstchen. The first nine'' Wake''-Class Escort Carriers were converted from a series of medium transport hulls circa 2666, a period in which the Confederation had suffered severe carrier losses. They carried a crew of 500, some 375 of which there were to support the flight wing. They typically carried 45 fighters in three squadrons of 15 fighters each and had special enhancements (such as the engine design seen on the Gilgamesh-class of destroyers instead of their normal transport power plants). The CVEs were designed with four roles in mind: fighter transport, convoy duty, space-to-ground support and high-risk deep-penetration raids. The Confederation had a high degree of success when using the Wake ''class in deep-penetration raids, to the point of swinging the war in the Confederation's favor prior to 2668 and the False Armistice. After the Terran-Kilrathi War, the Landreich Navy purchased several ''Wake-class carriers for use its own fleet. Despite its humble beginnings, the Wake-class has proven itself a viable and reliable design. Vanguard An original design contributed by starfox1701. The Confederation Vanguard-class was a design born out of necessity. Drastic losses in the first thirty days of the war led to the release of a number of new warship designs, including specifications for a new class of Fast Battleship to serve as a heavy task force escort and a heavy combatant. In early 2635, the Naval Specification Board approved design study FB-2627A173 for construction and assigned five hulls (BB-65 through BB-69) in the initial order. Construction of TCS Vanguard (BB-65) took close to three years to complete, with the ship commissioned on 2638.340. Changes in Confederation naval doctrine favoring full fleet carriers over heavy battleships along with the high attrition rate of capital ships in the war's early years sentenced this promising design to a short overall service life, with three of the planned five hulls being converted to carriers while still under construction and the two completed hulls being knocked out of action prior to 2650. Agamemnon An original design contributed by Michael "Hellbringer" Lu and Christopher "Whistler" Risko. After the initial Nephilim incursion in 2681, an analysis of the performance of TCS Midway revealed that, for all her innovations, she relied heavily on a "first sight, first kill" plan of operations. Surprise attacks could easily catch her off-guard and indeed there were several documented incidents where only the skill of her pilots saved the ship after an ambush. The Midway-class proved to be potentially very vulnerable to long range strikes from Nephilim Krakens. It was felt that a lighter, faster and more heavily armor class of carriers would be able to quickly get out of range or out of enemy firing arcs in time to launch a significant portion of her fighters and mount a suitable defense. The Agamemnon-class was born out of this line of thinking. Heavily armed with symmetrical weapons emplacement, the class is capable of delivering a potent broadside against any attacker. The necessities of the war (in particular the emphasis placed on battlecruiser production) limited the production run of this promising design, though a few ships of the class - most notably TCS Hyperion - served with distinction during the conflict. Miles D'Arby contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by Kevin "Phoenix" Scholl. Unusual in their asymmetry, the Miles D'Arby-class carriers were specialized for Marine support and fleet carrier replenishment. The epitome of versatility and no-nonsense production, heavy armament and impressive performance highlight the vessel's capabilities. Now regulated to the reserves, these ships served as the basis for the powerful Repleetah-class battlecruisers. Jutland contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. The Jutland-class is the latest breed of advanced fleet attack carriers, built to support the evolving Conederation Fleet military technology and theory developed during the Kilrathi War. Constructed with an emphasis on speed, mobility and striking power, they are among the most formidable carriers in Confederation service. These carriers carry nine squadrons of fighters, which are backed up by various anti-matter guns and missile batteries for additional striking power. With the withdrawal of Confederation's heaviest carriers and dreadnoughts to defend Earth, Jutland-class carriers now comprise the majority of the heavy fleet carriers left on the front line. Rigakh contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Standoff The fastest Kilrathi capship currently in service, the Rigakh cruiser is a light but very powerful capital ship capable of fulfilling a very diverse set of missions. One of these ships, KIS Hhai'fra, has until very recently served as Prince Thrakhath's flagship. Targu-II contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Standoff. A relatively new class of frigates, the Targu-II is fast and carries an impressive array of anti-fighter weaponry. However, they are very lightly armored and do not have a fighter compliment. Like the original Targu class, these ships are designed to serve a wide range of roles, including patrol, escort, bomber interdiction and fast transport duties. Hakaga contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Standoff. The Hakaga-class was developed under Project Hari (which also eventually oversaw the construction of the Hvar'kann-class as well); they managed to overcome previously insurmountable difficulties with trans-light jumping of ships above a certain size and mass. These carriers had a shield generator capable of repulsing nearly any Confederation weapon, including Mark IV and V antimatter torpedoes. Vulnerable engine nacelles were completely concealed and armored. The class was at least twice the length of a standard Snakeir-class carrier, featuring 6 launch bays, three aft and three forward; all six bays were self-contained. Fighters could be shifted from one part to another by internal access corridors, allowing the carrier to remain operation with three or even four bays out of commission. The Hakaga-class carried 288 strike craft and fighters - including the new Vatari superiority fighters - as well as a massive array of weaponry. It also had three concentric layers of interior armor. It was an impressive craft, but it required nearly six times the amount of material of a normal fleet carrier for construction. At the Battle of Earth, it was demonstrated that the heavy armor design was an Achilles heel; Marines destroyed several of these vessels with thermonuclear mines in suicide raids. The few vessels of the class that were still under construction at the time of the Battle of Earth were eventually converted into the Hvar'kann-class of super dreadnoughts. Savannah contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. This Terran light cruiser is a medium-weight, fast warship that is well-suited to being a carrier escort, convoy raider or flotilla leader. It sacrifices the heavy cruiser's keel-mounted plasma cannon and heavy protection in exchange for faster speed and greater acceleration, but its anti-matter guns and missile tubes still make it a formidable strike platform. Savannah-class cruisers blend a dangerous combination of firepower and speed; they can outrun anything they cannot outgun and can outgun anything they cannot outrun. Peleliu contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. One of the largest troop carriers in service, the Peleliu-class embarks a regiment of over two thousand Marines and a battalion of combat vehicles including assault skimmers, hover tanks and artillery walkers. They are all deployed to battle via the troopship's own complement of shuttles, dropships and landing craft. It carries enough supplies and equipment for its Marines to participate in sustained combat operations for up to 30 days. A planetary assault force would consist of multiple troopships working together; they would require proper escort while deploying for assault operations. Prowler contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. To enable absolute secrecy and plausible deniability in the field, the latest Naval Intelligence scout ships are designed to pose as innocent-looking civilian Free Traders. Prowlers work autonomously from the regular Confederation Fleet, running various covert ops, reconnaissance gathering and spy missions behind enemy lines with little to no backup. Even though the true specifications of these specialized vessels are classified, they are very dangerous if confronted. Notoriously elusive to sensors, detecting a ship as stealthy as this has proven to be virtually impossible. Dukara contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. The Dukara is a troop carrier that can carry a legion of Kilrathi Marines and their equipment, logistics and battle vehicles. It is atmospheric capable with the ability to deploy assault shuttles and dropships from its landing bay. Lightly armed and vulnerable to fighter attack, it still requires a destroyer or fighter escort. Confederation HQ has deemed troop transports to be high-priority targets; each one destroyed equates to a thousand less Kilrathi Marines that their Marines have to face in combat. Fralath contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. The Kilrathi developed this escort cruiser to counter the Terrans' superiority in fighter technology. Bristling with hordes of anti-fighter guns, the Fralath ''is normally found in defense of larger Kilrathi assets but are more than capable of serving as a raider or flagship of smaller fleet units. A Terran pilot's worst nightmare, a single ''Fralath-class cruiser can literally lay waste to entire formations of fighters and bombers. Dubav contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. The Dubav-class, the counterpart of the Confederation Wake-class, is specifically designed to operate behind enemy lines for prolonged periods of time. This fast, sleek and self-sufficient escort carrier is equipped with half a wing of fighters and bombers to attack Terran convoys and a loadout of Marine shuttles and bombardment missiles to mount terror raids against Confederation homeworlds and colonies. Notoriously elusive, Dubav-class carriers form the core of many Kilrathi Recon-in-Force fleets and are normally encountered away from the main front. Jakhari contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Armada. These unarmed transport drones are frequently used to transport vast quantities of mined ore from between words. They're more commonly found in secure regions but occasionally are pressed into service in areas when the ability to transfer goods and services is necessary but no personnel can be spared. They are capable of autonomous operation, though they can be easily overwhelmed and subverted by pirate or hostile forces, particularly due to the near absence of any defensive capabilities. This design is used by the Kilrathi. Belleau Wood contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Armada. These unarmed transport drones are frequently used to transport vast quantities of mined ore from between words. They're more commonly found in secure regions but occasionally are pressed into service in areas when the ability to transfer goods and services is necessary but no personnel can be spared. They are capable of autonomous operation, though they can be easily overwhelmed and subverted by pirate or hostile forces, particularly due to the near absence of any defensive capabilities. This design is used by the Confederation. Steltek Scout contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Privateer. The Scout is the only known example of modern-day Steltek engineering. A single Scout approached Grayson Burrows in 2669 as part of an operation to prevent ancient technology from falling into the hands of other races. The Scout carries a special jump drive capable of operating without standard jump points. It also mounts an extremely powerful tractor beam, which it later used to tow a massive derelict Steltek carrier. Steltek Drone contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Privateer. The Drone is an ancient class of automated weapon, used billions of years ago when the Steltek ruled the galaxy. A Steltek Drone abandoned in the Troy System asteroid belt was accidentally reactivated in early 2669 when a missile fired by Grayson Burrows misfired. The Drone cut a killing swath across the Gemini Sector, destroying numerous capital ships including TCS Winterrowd and TCS Valiant. Believing the Drone to be a Kilrathi secret weapon, the Confederation deployed a fleet under Commodore Reismann to destroy it. Burrows himself, using a salvaged Steltek gun, destroyed the drone at the ambush point. Steltek Carrier contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander: Privateer. This class of carrier was used by the Steltek billions of years ago. A derelict ship of this class was discovered and boarded by Grayson Burrows in the Delta Prime system in 2669; a modern Steltek Scout later moved it to parts unknown. Behemoth contributed by cap3101; based on a design from Wing Commander Saga. A class of super-dreadnought, the Behemoth has been in development for the past 10 years as a Confederation doomsday weapon. The Behemoth's entire design is built around its main gun, a series of linked, superconducting energy amplification conduits focusing an output of five hundred million gigawatts into one lancing point. Rumors state the Behemoth is being pressed into service prematurely and as such her defensive weapons, shielding and armor plating are practically non-existent. While Behemoth is the only ship of its class commissioned so far, plans are presumably going ahead to build more ships of the class. Ranger contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by William R. Forstchen. The Ranger-class was the first class of Confederation warships to be able to safely carry, launch and land space-based fighter craft, in particular the versatile CF-105 Scimitar but also other fighters of the day such as the A-8 Gladiator, CF/A-111 Falcon and CF-107 Hurricane. Fighters based on these craft were commonly used as forward scouts and for areal defense prior to scheduled Morvan hops in the initial design, with Akwende Drives installed during the refits of the 2600s. Rangers were on their way out when the Kilrathi War began, with the more capable Yorktown and Concordia designs taking over their role. Still, the last few Rangers served with distinction in the early parts of the war, including such noteworthy vessels as TCS Ark Royal, TCS Furious, TCS Hōshō and TCS Ranger herself. Durango contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander IV. The Durango was a heavy destroyer class with the traditional purpose of providing heavy firepower for Confederation fleets against enemy warships and to serve as escorts for larger vessels. They were fairly fast and maneuverable for their size and could evade slower vessels easily. Their design was highly modular and they could easily be customized to serve other purposes; many were converted to serve as a light carrier platform. The Durango was a pre-Kilrathi War design that saw action against the Kilrathi during the earlier years of the Terran-Kilrathi War. They became increasingly obsolete in the face of newer, superior warships and by the end of 2663 had been largely phased out of Confederation service. Several surviving Durangos were eventually acquired by the Union of Border Worlds; the most notable of these was TCS Delphi, which continued its service as BWS Intrepid. Even after the end of the Kilrathi War in 2669, Durangos remained active on the frontier. During the Border Worlds Conflict in 2673, Intrepid's crew spearheaded the Union's effort to stave off war with the Confederation; they would ultimately identify the Black Lance as the true culprit of the conflict and expose its illegal activities to the Confederation Assembly, thus preventing a full-scale war. Durangos had by 2681 been long since superseded by much more modern warship models of the peacetime era. Gamorgin contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by William R. Forstchen. Gamorgins were the champions of the Varni Conquest, a powerful heavy dreadnought design capable of flattening any unshielded structure from orbit and laying waste to enemy capital ship formations. It was natural that Admiral Nargth felt these ships should be in the vanguard of the Kilrathi's opening assault against the Confederation at McAuliffe, though it was quickly proven that fighters and not heavy battleships would ultimately become more important in the drive to victory. Gamorgin-class ships served through the early parts of the war and were heavily involved during the McAuliffe Ambush and the Enyo Engagement. Large and inflexible in their design, they suffered very heavy losses and had been largely phased out of service by Custer's Carnival. Targu contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by William R. Forstchen. The Targu-class was a Kilrathi light escort capital ship design that was ubiquitous in the Imperial Navy around the time of the conquest of the Varni. It was mainly designed as a fast anti-fighter craft, something it did exceptionally well even though it could be overwhelmed with a particularly massive and coordinated fighter strike, as was proved in the final battle with the Varni. Targu frigates served as patrol and escort ships until the newer, more powerful Targu-II came online shortly after the Enyo Engagement. Texas contributed by capi3101; based on a design originally by William R. Forstchen. When she was first commissioned in 2696, TCS Texas was a technological marvel; she was the first Confederation warship to incorporate the new Akwende Drive technology as well as the first ship of her size to break 80 kps during her deep space trials. She was ultimately also the first warship to incorporate neutron guns as part of her main armament, making her a truly formidable warship for her day. Texas-class ships served with distinction in the Confederation Navy during the early 27th Century and (according to naval doctrine at the time) became the ultimate symbol of the Confederation's force projection. They proved decisive in the Confederation's war against the Pilgrims but were in no way prepared to handle the threat posed by the Kilrathi Mk-I torpedo; most of the ships of this class were destroyed during the McAuliffe Ambush. The remaining Texas-class ships were phased out of service during the 2640s, though they served with honor through some of the war's more intense early engagements, including Enyo. Evansville contributed by capi3101; based on a design from Wing Commander IV. The Evansville-class was born out of the Confederation's experience with Strike Force Valkyrie. While the Peleliu-class performed an admirable job as a troop transport and support ship for Marine landing operations, it had no facilities for dropship servicing and maintenance. The ships themselves were slow and vulnerable to enemy attack; this was the main reasons why TCS Bangor herself did not accompany Valkyrie to Kilrah. Evansville and her planned sister ships were designed to overcome these shortcomings by adding more substantial defenses and a small landing bay for dropships and support craft, as well as space for up to an entire regiment of Marines. A modular and adaptable design, the landing bay could be expanded or replaced with space for additional logistics if necessary. This promising craft might've become the standard transport vessel for the Confederation Marine Corps were it not for a series of unfortunate events. The war with the Kilrathi ended before Evansville was completed; when she finally was completed a few years after the war's end, she found herself in the hands of the Black Lance, where she served as the mothership for many of that group's early atrocities. Like the F-107, she became a symbol of that group as a result and as a result the Great Assembly cancelled the order for the remaining Evansville hulls. Parts of the design did make it into the Harrier-class of Escort Carriers late in the 27th Century. ---- NEXT: 8.0 Navigation PREVIOUS: 7.3 Capital Ship Catalog TOP ---- Category:WCRPG